


The Stable Boy

by LallybrochLoser



Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Pre Canon, pre-Virgins Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23366476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LallybrochLoser/pseuds/LallybrochLoser
Summary: Fifteen year old Jamie Fraser and a typical day for him before the Red Coats turned his life upside down.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37
Collections: Outlander Bingo Challenge





	The Stable Boy

**Author's Note:**

> This fulfills my “Day in the Life” square for the Outlander Bingo 2020. Canon compliant, Pre-Virgins era. Enjoy!

If fifteen-year-old James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser had things his way, he would be sleeping well past breakfast and almost through luncheon. Then again, if his life had gone as planned, he wouldn’t be set to inherit the title of Laird Broch Tuarach, Leader of Lallybroch and the adjacent Broch Mordha. The death of his older brother Willie made that decision for him.

But, life was what you made of it. And Jamie, as everyone he knew called him, wasn’t one to wallow about what was already lost.

All Jamie could do was take what life gave him, and make the best of it. Always moving forward, taking things one step at a time. 

“Each step is a choice, lad,” his father Brian had always told him. “Once ye realize each choice becomes yer life, that’s the day ye’ll be a man.”

Being fifteen, Jamie didn’t really understand it. But he trusted his father with his life.

The lark above the manor sounded its usual croaking screeches just as dawn was breaking through the horizon. It was to be a usual day for Jamie. From pre-dawn til long after dusk had passed, he would be in the fields, tending to his father’s lands. The lands that would one day be his. And he was okay with that.

He starts with voiding his bladder in the chamberpot that usually sat under his bed. _Will I ever get used tae havin’ a morning cockstand?_ He wondered as he started pleading his kilt on the floor. Dressed, he heads downstairs to see Mrs. Crook producing porridge for everyone.

“Ach, good mornin’ tae ye, Jamie!” The old woman says as she ladles some of the warm, grainy goodness into a freshly cleaned bowl for him.

“Aye, ‘tis, Mrs. Crook!” Jamie says as he grabs a spoon and starts shoveling the contents into his mouth like it will disappear if he doesn’t eat fast enough.

“There’s some fresh bannocks just above the stove fer yer journeys today. Dinna take ‘em all, yer father and sister still need tae eat!”

“I won’t,” Jamie grumbles as he takes a bite of bannock. The mixture of floury breaded fluff with the warm, sweetness of the ground oats satisfied his wame in a way that no other food in the morning could. Chugging a large glass of milk to wash it all down, he thanked Mrs. Crook and went to go find his father.

Brian Fraser, by looks alone, didn’t resembled anything to the young lad. The only thing that made Jamie Fraser his son was the fire that forever burned in his heart for his people, for Scotland, and for what was right.

Jamie milked the sheep and goats while Brian took to finishing changing a shoe out on one of the horses. Jamie always divided the milk between their two purposes: feeding the children, and making cheese. A hobby that his older sister Jenny had recently undertaken. He believed she would be pleased that the goats were producing a good amount this morning. Both men took note that the cattle were close to their prime for slaughtering. _We’ll feast weel this comin’ winter,_ Jamie thought, daydreams of a steak supper swam in his vision. 

While milking the goat, Jamie noticed two of their chickens had escaped their pin and it took a good hour to chase them down. The only thing that made the effort worth it was he found an robin’s egg along the way. A good omen, indeed.

“Did that bloody chicken escape again?” Brian called out from the stables.

“Aye, two did,” Jamie struggled with a wriggling chicken in his hands, trying to avoid getting bit. Again. “We really should consider a different approach tae pinning ‘em, Da.”

“Aye yer right,” Brian mused as he let the horse’s hoof down and pat it on the back. “But first, yer sister told me we need tae get the main gate repaired.”

Together, they finally managed to fix that old, creaking gate and its latch was looking brand new. That put the men just in time for lunch. They went into the house and had a quick bite before heading back into the fields.

While Jamie continued with his daily routine of gathering and bundling hay for the upcoming winter, Brian took survey of their crops. The oats, grain, wheat and barley were flourishing, which meant he wouldn’t have to drag the old oxen plough out.

“My Laird!” a voice called out to Brian from the fields. It belonged to one of the tenants.

“Ronnie!” Brian said, noting the alarm in the man’s voice. “What’s amiss, man?”

“Our last horse. Wee Mary found it laying down in the stables. Canna figure out what’s the matter. Will ye help me?”

“Aye, of course,” Brian said with urgency. “Lemme go grab young Jamie. He can help us.”

Brian found Jamie still where he was when he left, pitchfork in his hands and bundling hay onto their old cart. “Jamie!”

“Da, what is it?”

“Auld MacNab’s horse has found itself lame. Could ye give us a hand?”

“Aye, o’ course!” Jamie laid the pitchfork next to the cart and followed his father. His heart raced with excitement and anticipation. Jamie _loved_ anything to do with horses. They were the most majestic and magnificent of beasts. And at this point in his life, he knew how to care for them in all capacities. He could shoe and brush with the best of them, but his special talent was solving problems when they became lame.

It was a three mile horse ride towards Broch Mordha. The second they walked into the MacNab stables, a few possibilities popped into Jamie’s head upon seeing the young mare, sitting on the straw in an awkward position.

Jamie cautiously approached the mare, with Brian and Ronnie clearing the way, giving him room to work. He reached out an arm for the mare to sniff, and then brought his armpit to its large snout. The horse snorted, then nuzzled his arm. Jamie smiled. It was widely known throughout the Fraser lands that Jamie could get any horse to like him.

Jamie hoisted his kilt up a bit and knelt down beside the ailing mare. It didn’t take but a few minutes to see a severely abscessed hoof.

“When was the last time her hooves were look at?” Jamie asked reproachfully, eyeing Ronnie warily.

“L-Last month?” Ronnie said, unable to meet Jamie’s eyes.

_“A Dhia,”_ Jamie cursed, knowing it was a lie. He let it go. He was here now; he could fix the mare up nice and proper. As well as give the MacNabs a stern talking to about maintaining their horses.

“Can she be healed?” Brian asked.

“Aye,” Jamie responded, not looking up as his father but focusing on the task in front of him. He removed the shoe and drained and cleaned the injury thoroughly. Fortunately the abscess was caused by a rather large splinter in the hoof. The mare struggled a bit as Jamie removed the foreign object, but immediately calmed once it was gone. Next, Jamie proceeded to make a poultice.

“Apply this twice a day,” Jamie said with a stern look towards Ronnie. “And change the bandages every day until it’s healed. Make sure ye walk her fer a bit each day, but no’ so much that it aggravates the injury. And for the love of Christ man, take better care o’ yer horses. This wouldna happened if ye kept a better eye on them.”

Ronnie accepted the poultice Jamie had made, as well as the extra bandages from his sporran, and gave Jamie a sixpence.

“I thank ye, lad. Ye’ll make a fine Laird once this auld coot is out o’ the way!”

Brian laughed. “Canna get rid o’ me that easily!”

Jamie and Brian said their goodbyes and made their journey back towards Lallybroch.

“Ye did verra good, son,” Brian said.

“Ye think so?” Jamie asked. Not to be a smartass. He thought he was too harsh with his words.

“Aye. Sometimes ye gotta be harsher than ye’d like tae be on yer tenants, ‘specially when they ken weel what’s expected o’ them, and fail tae live up to it.”

They rode in silence for some time before Brian said, “ye’ll make a fine Laird when the time comes, Jamie. Yer a braw lad, and I’m proud o’ ye.”

Jamie’s heart softened at his father’s words.

The rest of the day was spent with Jamie helping Jenny and Mrs. Crook in the kitchen and Brian in his study. By the time supper was served, everyone had earned their meal and a good night’s rest. The three of them shared a dram before everyone went into their separate rooms. 

But Jamie decided to head up to the hill beyond the house. Where his mother, and older brother, eternally rested.

He brought with him two cups and the bottle of whisky. He laid a blanket out between the graves, and poured a dram for himself, and one for his mother.

“Da told me today that I’ll make a fine Laird,” Jamie told the wind, sipping his drink. “I hope he’s right. I hope I’ll make ye both proud. And I hope I’ll be able tae find a woman worthy of the title ‘Lady Broch Tuarach’. I want it tae be like ye and Da were. Laird and Lady. In it together. No matter what.”

Jamie spent the rest of the moon’s rising just sitting there, having a drink in silent company, then he headed back to the house to get some sleep. The lark was gonna be waking him on the morrow sooner than he ever expected.


End file.
